Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s state logistics agency, Perum Bulog, announced that individuals found to be involved in online gambling will be disqualified from receiving government rice assistance, including the 10-kilogram rice social aid and rice from the Stabilization of Food Supply and Prices (SPHP) program.
The agency’s President Director, Maj. Gen. Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani, said the move aims to ensure that food assistance is delivered to those truly in need, excluding anyone linked to online gambling or radical terrorism.
“We firmly state that individuals engaged in online gambling or radical terrorism will not be eligible for this food aid. That’s already stipulated in the regulations,” Rizal told reporters on Saturday, August 2, as reported Antara.
According to Rizal, Bulog has access to accurate data identifying recipients who do not meet the eligibility criteria. The agency is also implementing a digital verification system to strengthen distribution accuracy. Each aid recipient is now assigned a barcode, which must be matched with their national identity card (KTP) at the point of distribution.
“If a recipient has a barcode and is listed in the beneficiary database, then it’s already verified and secure,” he added.
In addition to tightening the eligibility system, Bulog is working with law enforcement agencies, including the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and National Police (Polri), to monitor aid distribution, especially under the SPHP rice program.
“We’re closely monitoring the SPHP distribution with our colleagues from TNI and Polri to prevent misuse, which has happened in past years,” Rizal said.
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The stricter measures follow alarming findings from Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), which revealed that 571,410 individuals registered as social aid recipients were involved in online gambling throughout 2024.
According to PPATK, those individuals collectively deposited approximately Rp957 billion (around $58 million) across 7.5 million transactions during the year.
Following a comprehensive verification of national ID numbers (NIK) by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the government has reiterated its commitment to excluding online gambling participants from welfare benefits to better target vulnerable populations genuinely in need of assistance.
(Raidi/Agung)
